As a method for manufacturing a semiconductor by processing a semiconductor wafer, a process shown in FIG. 19 has been adopted conventionally.
That is to say, as shown in FIG. 19(A), a semiconductor wafer 200 on which a circuit has been formed is taken out from a semiconductor wafer storage cassette 201, a protection tape 202 is stuck to the surface of the semiconductor wafer 200 by using a protection tape sticking apparatus (not shown), and the protection tape 202 is cut along the shape of the semiconductor wafer 200.
The semiconductor wafer 200 on which the protection tape 202 has been stuck is then stored into a semiconductor wafer storage cassette 206 (protection tape sticking process).
Next, as shown in FIG. 19(B), the semiconductor wafer 200 is taken out from the semiconductor wafer storage cassette 206, the protection tape 202 side of the semiconductor wafer 200 to which the protection tape 202 has been stuck is sucked and held on a suction table (not shown), and a back surface on which a circuit has not been formed is grinded up to the specified thickness by a back grinder 208.
The semiconductor wafer 200 on which the protection tape 202 has been stuck and of which a back surface has been grinded up to the specified thickness is then stored into a semiconductor wafer storage cassette 210 (back grinding process).
After that, as shown in FIG. 19(C), the semiconductor wafer 200 is taken out from the semiconductor wafer storage cassette 210, the protection tape 202 side of the semiconductor wafer 200 is sucked and held on a suction table 212, and a ring frame 214 is placed on the periphery of the semiconductor wafer 200.
In the above state, a mount tape 216 is stuck to the top surface and then cut along the outline of the ring frame 214 (or a mount tape 216 is cut in advance in such a manner that its outline is equivalent to that of the ring frame 214 and then stuck on the top surface). Consequently, the semiconductor wafer 200 and the ring frame 214 are integrated into one body through the mount tape 216.
As shown in FIG. 19(C), the semiconductor wafer 200 is then inverted upside down together with the ring frame, and the protection tape 202 is peeled from the circuit surface side of the semiconductor wafer 200 by using a peeling tape (not shown).
The semiconductor wafer 200 from which the protection tape 202 has been peeled and that has been integrated with the ring frame 214 through the mount tape 216 is then stored into a semiconductor wafer storage cassette 218 (wafer mounting process).
After that, as shown in FIG. 19(D), the semiconductor wafer 200 is taken out together with the ring frame 214 from the semiconductor wafer storage cassette 218, and the semiconductor wafer 200 is cut in a dice pattern by using a dicing apparatus 220.
The semiconductor wafer 200 that has been cut in a dice pattern by using the dicing apparatus 220 is then stored together with the ring frame 214 into a semiconductor wafer storage cassette 222 (dicing process).
After that, as shown in FIG. 19(E), the semiconductor wafer 200 is taken out together with the ring frame 214 from the semiconductor wafer storage cassette 222, and a semiconductor wafer (chip) 200a that has been cut in a dice pattern is picked up and mounted on the electronic component mounting section of an electronic component 226 by using a bonding apparatus 224 (die bonding process).
As a method for a process control and a quality control in semiconductor manufacturing processes, a bar code method has been adopted conventionally.
That is to say, in the bar code method, a bar code label that corresponds to a serial number marked on the surface of a wafer is stuck on a semiconductor wafer storage cassette, a ring frame, and so on.
In addition, many kinds of information with relation to the wafer are stored in a host computer in such a manner that the information corresponds to the serial number.
In each process of the semiconductor wafer manufacturing processes, information required for the process control is downloaded from the host computer based on the serial number and required processing is executed.
In such a bar code method, however, the information-control host computer must control all of information with relation to the wafer, thus increasing a burden to the host computer.
In general, all processes for wafer processing are not executed in one factory, but wafers are transported from a factory to another factory and wafer processing is continued. All of information with relation to the wafer is stored in the host computer. Consequently, the host computer must be accessed again to download the required information in the factory to which wafers have been transported. As another manner, information that has been stored in the host computer must be stored in an information storage medium, the information storage medium must be transported with the wafers, and the information with relation to the wafer must be stored in a host computer in a factory to which wafers are transported. As a result, the process control becomes complicated.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-331962 (hereinafter “JP '962”) describes a wafer processing method in which a data carrier capable of inputting and outputting information in a non-contact manner using electromagnetic waves as a communication medium, such as an RF memory configured by an IC chip and a conductive coil that are connected to each other, is fixed onto a semiconductor wafer support member such as a ring frame or a hard plate for sticking and supporting a semiconductor wafer, required information is read or written, and a wafer is processed by the information read from the data carrier.
However, in the wafer processing method described in JP '962, the data carrier is just fixed onto a semiconductor wafer support member such as a ring frame or a hard plate for sticking and supporting a semiconductor wafer.
Consequently, in the protection tape sticking process as shown in FIG. 19(A), information with relation to the protection tape 202, such as a bar code, a product name, a quality assurance period, and a lot number, which are described on a label that has been stuck to the outer packing member of the protection tape 202 or a label that has been stuck to the shaft member around which the protection tape 202 has been wound, must be separately stored in the host computer 228, thus causing the process control to be complicated.
Moreover, in the case in which the protection tape 202 is stuck to the semiconductor wafer, the information that has been stored in the host computer, such as optimum conditions of a sticking speed and a sticking pressure, must be downloaded from the host computer, thus causing the process control to be complicated.
Furthermore, after the protection tape 202 is stuck to the semiconductor wafer 200, the information with relation to the protection tape 202 must be downloaded from the host computer 228 whenever the processing of the following step is executed, thus causing the process control to be complicated.
Still further, since it is difficult to recognize the kind of the protection tape 202 after the protection tape 202 is stuck to the semiconductor wafer 200, different information may be downloaded from the host computer 228 for executing the processing, thus preventing a semiconductor with a constant level of quality from being manufactured.
Recently, production of many kinds and small lots tends to increase. In such a case, since it is difficult to obtain the information of a remainder amount and a quality assurance period of the protection tape 202 that has been used, thus causing the remainder of the protection tape 202 to run short, the quality assurance period to be exceeded, processes to be interrupted, and quality to be degraded.
Such problems also occur on the mount tape 216 in the wafer mounting process as shown in FIG. 19(C).
The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems. An object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor wafer processing tape winding body provided with a data carrier member capable of reading and writing processing data such as tape information for a semiconductor wafer processing tape such as a protection tape and a mount tape.
Moreover, another object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor wafer processing tape sticking apparatus capable of sticking a semiconductor wafer processing tape to a semiconductor wafer under the optimum conditions based on the processing data that has been written to a data carrier member and that has been read from the data carrier member without accessing the host computer unlike a conventional method, using the above semiconductor wafer processing tape winding body.
Furthermore, another object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor wafer processing apparatus capable of performing the specified wafer processing under the optimum conditions for a semiconductor wafer to which a semiconductor wafer processing tape is stuck by the semiconductor wafer processing tape sticking apparatus, in particular, a semiconductor wafer grinder, a dicing apparatus, and a die bonding apparatus.